THE McGUFFIN

UK | BBC 2 | 1×105 minute episode | AIRDATE: 1985

WRITER: Michael Thomas | NOVEL: John Bowen | PRODUCTION DESIGN: Jim Clay | PRODUCER: Kenith Trodd | DIRECTOR: Colin Bucksey

In thriller The McGuffin film critic Paul Hatcher gets caught up in murder and blackmail after agreeing to take an old lady neighbour’s dog for a walk. He is soon up to his neck in political skullduggery and violence involving indiscreet photographs of a prominent government minister.

A real homage to the world of Hitchcock taking in lots of his movies, everything from Rear Window to The Trouble With Harry not least the McGuffin of the title which was a word coined by Alfred Hitchcock for the vital plot twists in the his films. The end credits were right on the money too.

cast

Charles Dance as Paul Hatcher

Ann Todd as Mrs Forbes-Duthie

Mark Rylance as Gavin

Caliban (the dog) as Archie

Bill Shine, Neville Phillips, Paul McKenzie, Ray Shell as Rear Window Guys

Francis Matthews as Silver-Haired Gent

Stephen Ruff as Mickey Rooney

Roger Lloyd Pack as David Power

Sue Peacock as Newscaster

Brian Glover as Man In Brown

Chris Langham as Detective

Phyllis Logan as Anne

Anna Massey as Nina

Michael Aitkin as Rod Blue

Kenny Andrews as Phil

Ashok Kumar, Natasha Gomperts as Indian Teenagers

Giovanni Samaritani as Franco

Simona De Laurentis as Festival Hostess

Jerry Stiller as Marty de Rezke

Massimo Sarchielli as Fellaci

Issam El-Nasrawi as Egyptian

Mario Angelucci as Italian Juror

Ritza Brown as Celestia

Stephen Lewis as Sopwith

Mark Burdis as Alfie